Chapter 4 Survival

Ariel knew that morning that silence was a luxury in prison.

There was never a quiet, peaceful moment. The clanging of gates, the constant echo of footsteps, endless chatter, curses, and screams all blended into a harsh hum that crawled under her skin.

She walked down the hallway with her body still stiffened from the dream. Her arms clung tightly to her sides, her head bowed as she tried to reach the bathroom unnoticed.

The women inside were wild in their own ways, hard, loud, and unapologetically cruel to anyone new. Some stared at her with blank faces, others with mocking smirks. A few whispered things she couldn't quite hear, but their eyes said enough.

She flinched when a metal cup banged against the bars in angry rhythm, then someone demanding attention and asking for food.

The guards barked over the house, their voices sharp and cold.

" Could he be a guard?" She pondered, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

But it can't be.

Can a guard smell that way?

Do guards even wear black suits?

' There's no way that's real,'' she convinced herself.

No way a man can sneak into the prison, to what? Stalk her? Watch her?

Her knees weakened; she could barely breathe, as if fear itself gripped her spine.

Though it felt so real, the more Ariel thought of it, the more it didn't make any sense, unless her stalker is a guard, which she needs to find out right away...

" Ah." Ariel yelped, startled by the sudden jump of a woman in front of her.

She looked at her fearfully to see her grinning and showing off her tits.

Ariel stood frozen. She couldn't believe another woman would shamelessly stand in front of her, bouncing her tits for her to see.

Her jaw dropped when another woman rushed over to grab them and began sucking.

' What's going on?' she cried in her mind and quietly sneaked out of her presence.

Finally, she found the bathroom.

But the moment she stepped in, she turned away instantly. Her chest was pounding painfully against her rib.

There were a lot of women right there. Naked. Some dancing while they bathe. Some kissing and sucking each other.

The bathroom was filled with nothing but noise and moans.

' Am I? Am I supposed to bathe with all of them here? Like this?' She stuttered in mind, her shoulders tensed from discomfort.

' No, I can't.' She immediately attempted to get out when a woman's harsh voice stopped her.

" Hey, pet!"

Ariel froze. ' Is she.. calling me?'

She asked herself, but then, she's not a pet, nor is her name. But she did feel like she'd trespassed.

The noise faltered. The moans stopped.

" The new pussy toy has come to the bath."

Laughter followed, sharp and cruel.

Ariel swallowed, she turned to see everyone's gaze on her and quickly lowered her head.

" She thinks she's too good to sweat like the rest of us." The same woman, who seemed like the boss added.

She later found out her name was Rita.

" I.. didn't mean to disturb anyone. I'll just.." Ariel took a step back, but a hand suddenly shoved her from behind, causing her knees to hit the hard floor with a smack that sent pain shooting up her legs.

She groaned and winced in pain while they erupted in laughter.

" No, no. You came to join us, didn't you? What's the matter? Scared?" Rita asked with a mocking smirk, crouching to her level.

" I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes. " I-I didn't mean to interrupt," she murmured.

"Interrupt?" another woman snickered. "Sweetheart, you belong here, don't you? You think you're better than us?"

Rita grabbed her chin, water sliding down her body as she forced her to look up. " What's wrong? Never seen naked women before?"

Laughter rippled through the room as she added. " Miss innocent can't even look at a body."

Ariel shook her head, her voice trembling. " Please, I just want to leave..."

The slap came so fast it cracked through the bathroom. The sound echoed against, Ariel's head whipped to the side, her cheek burning.

" You don't get to act shy here." Rita hissed. " You don't get to pretend you're different. You're one of us. A criminal. A dirty, lying whore who thinks tears make her pure."

Ariel trembled, her throat burned and her chest ached.

" Look at her cry," Another woman mocked, laughing. " Why don't we treat her like whore she is?"

They cheered in support, laughing and giggling.

" Sure." Rita supported. " You'll become my new pet, my pussy sucker." She grabbed her blonde hair and yanked her head to her pussy side.

Ariel held her hand, struggling and pleading.

" Take your hands off her!" A voice barked.

Everyone paused and looked towards the direction the order came from, including Ariel, who felt a sting of relief that someone had come to her rescue.

Rita pushed her head, letting go of her hair as she turned to the red-haired girl. " Move aside, Rust Girl. You're staining the floor with that hair of yours."

Her minions burst into another round of laughter.

" Hand her over," the red-haired girl demanded.

Rita looked at the women behind her as if to confirm she had just heard that right.

She turned back to her." Who are you talking to? Huh? Hedgehog?"

She didn't speak. Her eyes went to Ariel who was being held by the shoulder by one of Rita's minions.

Rita added mockingly. " So now you want to act like a hero, huh? You that's always curling up to yourself, now you've grown pussy, huh?"

" Like I said, hand her over."

" Whoa! Hedgehog thinks she's through now, come on, show us those quills."

Ariel watched in fear for Hedgehog as a fight broke out. Dashing at each other with weapons gotten from broken buckets.

Her body trembled as she saw blood on her arm. " Please stop." She cried to the redhead girl, afraid she'd only get hurt because of her. " You don't have to do this."

Hedgehog smirked. " I'm not doing it for you. My boss will murder me and dumb my corpse where no one would ever find me if they touch a hair on you."

She shouted before attacking Rita.

Ariel furrowed her brow. " Her boss? Is that another cellmate?"

She didn't get any answer until the fight was over and Hedgehog was able to drag her out of the bathroom.

" Stick with me if you want to survive here," Hedgehog told her, wrapping her arm with a piece of cloth to stop her bleeding.

" Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, Miss...?" Ariel appreciated, walking fast to keep up with her pace.

"Just call me Hedgehog and like I said before, I didn't do it for you."

She nodded. " Can you take me to your boss, let me thank her?"

Hedgehog paused and looked at her. Her eyes scanned her body like she doubted she'd survive with such a frail body. " She?"

" Hm?"

She started walking again. " My boss is not a she."

" Huh? He's a man, a guard?"

" Seeing how clueless you are, I guess he doesn't want you to know."

" Who are you talking about?"

" I'm sure you must have met him before." Hedge paused again and turned to her.

Ariel's innocent expression told her enough. She furrowed her brow in disbelief before clearing her throat and beginning.

"Forget everything I said about my boss. The real monsters are locked in here with us - laughing, eating, breathing, waiting for the next weak thing to break.

Soon, Ariel... tears will be the least of your worries."

Cold shivers crawled down her spine.

And that was when Ariel knew, that every breath she took was owned.